Disclaimer: I do not understand Japanese. This translation attempt depends on Chinese translation by wxunxx on tieba (thanks!!) and google translate. I am sure there are mistakes, and corrections are more than welcome.

Page 1

"Training in Toronto is a strategic decision on my part. Not because Coach Brian Orser trained Kim Yuna, but because I must have rivals to motivate myself. I often grew from seeing other skaters in competition, ice shows, or official practices, and wanted to know how much will I develop under daily pressures. I also wanted to know the secret of Javier Fernandez who has two kinds of quads. These reasons brought me to Canada, not because of Kim Yuna. I wanted to train in an environment that simulates competitions."

Cricket Club is about 30 minutes by train and bus from downtown Toronto. Hanyu trains here under Brian Orser the "horse trader". (note: LOL for a good 5 minutes after figuring out what was the horse trading in google translation about - 名伯楽 is a Chinese idiom, according to weblio it means "Person with insight into the people who have excellent qualities.") During the interview, Hanyu uses different words to call himself - he is a humble 仆 when talking about competitors, but becomes an aggressive 俺 when talking about his strategies. This 17-year-old boy cannot hide his exhilaration facing huge changes ahead of him.

At 2012 Worlds in Nice, Hanyu was 7th in SP but led after his LP. Coach Nanami Abe watched the final group and said: "Next year, you need an overseas teacher." (note: note sure about this one)

Maybe Coach Abe only suggested (note: short-term?) overseas training. However, when the young World bronze medalist returned to Sendai, he pondered on those words.

"I am most at ease training in Sendai, I also do not want to leave my family. But with many people cheering for me, there is a lot of expectation on my shoulders. Skating is no longer about myself. When I stand on the podium, I'm no longer supposed to put my own feelings first. In order to take another step forward, I chose to leave Coach Abe and go abroad."

Page 2

“I went to Toronto. In the past I received information on the training environment there, and Coach Brian Orser was a major part of it. When Coach Orser received my request, he first consulted Fernandez about the possibility of training along side a rival. Fernandez welcomed the idea immediately, and my transfer was quickly decided.”

At Cricket, Coach Orser is assisted by a team of multiple coaches. Tracy Wilson focuses on skating skills, David Wilson is a world level choreographer, and there are specialty coaches on spins, steps, ballet etc. The elegance and prestige of the skating environment here is beyond and above Japan.

In May 2012, Hanyu entered the club gate excitedly, thinking "show me the quad salchow soon". His first trial, however, was to work on basic skating everyday.

"In Sendai my personal daily ice time was limited to an hour, and jump training became the priority. I did not practice enough basic skating and this weakness shows."

A famous Cricket tradition is group skating skills training, with 10-20 skaters from junior to elite senior all doing the same steps at the end of practice. However, the World Championship bronze medalist Hanyu showed weaker skating skills than anyone else.

"Well, I was very glad." Hanyu recalls a little excitedly. "Because I could see my weakness! By fixing it, my skating will fundamentally change, I can have more convincing performances and achieve a new stage."

Page 3

In conjunction with basic skating training, Coach Orser also challenged Hanyu with two new programs. "He came to impress fans with dramatic acting all the time. Now he needs to be able to present more maturely, this makeover could become his new style. So Jeff Buttle was asked to choreograph a different, mature SP. Unlike the LP by David Wilson, which by Hanyu's request is more dramatic. I asked David to put in a lot of highly difficult transitions that Hanyu has not done before."

Up-and-coming choreographer, former world champion Jeff Buttle chose classic blues, "Parisienne Walkways" for SP. Unlike music that calls for wild body movements, the "between" parts in this program clearly highlights quality basic skating. Hanyu used to avoid such programs, because it's more difficult to express emotions in them compared to the opera-type music he used in the past.

In the finished SP, a series of long steps are designed to show a feeling of "weakness", "slumber" and accelerate without using force. This part required intensive basic skating skills. "In a summer ice show with Jeff, I performed this new program. I kept practicing these basic skills. Apparently Jeff prefers that skaters stay faithful to his choreography, but as I gradually added my own feelings and touches, Jeff says 'it is Hanyu's now'."

LP is "Notre Dame de Paris". The dramatic song comes packed with technical details that Hanyu is not accustomed to. There were three main challenges.

Until now, Hanyu got away by forcing power through the program (note: not quite sure). However, the new LP does not have any part that involves forceful amateur acceleration. It is all refined skating.

"In the past, I rested whenever possible, jumped when jumps come up, and pushed harder when I had to. But now the whole program is about technique that integrates from beginning to end. So if I fall on a jump mid-program all becomes interrupted. It is painful anyway."

***

Rest of the interview not shown online. The other two challenges appear to be integrating revised jumps / spin layout into choreography, and the quad salchow.

Does anyone know any good web apps for collaborative translation projects?